I’m an NHS doctor – this is why you should NEVER give babies water 

Adults are encouraged to drink two liters of it every day to stay hydrated.

But for babies, drinking water can be deadly.

An NHS surgeon has sternly warned parents of ‘little people’ about the dangers of letting them drink water if they are under six months old.

TikTok influencer Dr. Karan Raj says newborns’ kidneys are half the size of an adult’s, making them unable to properly filter plain water.

This can cause water intoxication, known medically as hyponatremia – where excess water dilutes the salt in the blood.

NHS medic and TikTok influencer Dr. Karan Raj has sternly warned parents of ‘little people’ about the dangers of letting them drink water under six months

“The excess water goes back into the bloodstream and dilutes the salt in the blood,” said Dr Raj.

“This is known as hyponatremia – too low a sodium level – and this can cause all sorts of havoc from brain swelling, seizures and even death.”

Adults would need to drink at least three or four liters of water in rapid succession to become hyponatraemic.

But babies only need to drink 200 to 250 ml of water to be at risk of water intoxication.

In addition, babies’ gastric emptying is significantly slower, which means they can become full quickly.

This means that if a baby is given water to drink, he may be too full to consume milk and become deficient in the energy and nutrients he needs.

Breastfed babies don’t need to start drinking water until they start eating solid foods around six months.

Babies may want to drink little and often when it gets hot to stay hydrated, so mothers should consume more water at these times, the NHS says.

However, for babies under six months who are bottle-fed, the health department says they should drink some water occasionally in hot weather.

Babies should not be given bottled water as the NHS says it is not sterile and may contain too much sodium or sulphate.

In response to Dr Raj’s video, many people asked why babies can’t drink water alone, but they can when mixed with formula.

The NHS says this is because formula, like breast milk, is high in calories and stays in the body longer rather than overloading the kidneys.

Adults would need to drink at least three or four liters of water in rapid succession to become hyponatraemic. But babies only need to drink 200 to 250 ml of water to be at risk of water intoxication.

Once babies are six months old and start eating solid foods, they can be given water to drink during meals. It does not need to be cooked first at this point.

Water intoxication causes a buildup of water in and around the body’s cells.

This causes cells to swell and can cause symptoms ranging from mild to life-threatening, such as headaches, vomiting and seizures.

Among adults, deaths and hospitalizations have been reported after people drank seven to eight liters of water – compared to the daily recommendation of about two liters.

For example, in 2007, a mother of three was found dead at the age of 28 after drinking nearly eight liters of water during a radio contest in California.

Jennifer Strange, of Sacramento, California, died of acute water intoxication after the challenge, which rewarded participants who could drink the most water without going to the toilet.